Date: 2018-01-24

Contrary to claims by the opposition party, the Kwara State Government says it has always made use of local contractors in the execution of road projects in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the State Governor, Dr Muyideen Akorede said this while featuring on a radio programme, tagged 'Ibi Abashe de on Tuesday, alongside the Publicity Secretary of the Kwara State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Sulyman Buhari. Dr Akorede disclosed that Offa-Ipe road, Gerewu phase 1, Sango-Oke Andi road, Babanloma township road, Oko Bridge in Oro-Ago, Tanke-Awolowo road, Oloro Palace road, among other road projects were executed by local contractors while local consultants were also engaged. He added that these projects have empowered the beneficiaries and also created local jobs for the people.

Speaking on tax payment and collection in the state, Dr Akorede explained that the state government has not imposed any burden on individual tax payers and businesses in the State.

He re-emphasized that the government neither introduced new taxes nor increased existing ones, but only restructured the tax collection system to block leakages. The governor's media aide disclosed that artisans in the state pay N2500 as taxes annually, while market women pay about N5000 as annual tax depending on their income.

He also denied claims that the Federal Government has shut down the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Kwara State over alleged neglect of the camp by the state government. He clarified that in view of the low number of the 2017 Batch "B" Stream ll corps members, the NYSC management decided that corps member deployed to Kwara, Ogun and Oyo states should have their orientation course at the Oyo NYSC camp in Iseyin. He, therefore, noted that there was no iota of truth to the allegation that the Kwara NYSC orientation camp has been shut down by the Federal Government.

Speaking further, the governor's media aide disclosed that the State government has set aside N1.6billion as counterpart funding to access the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grant for the construction of classrooms in schools across the State.

He added that the construction work will commence. Also speaking, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari said that the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has used his position to attract more capital projects to Kwara State.

He listed some of the projects to include dualisation of Michael-Imodu/Ganmo road, Afon/Aboto/Oyo state boundary road construction, Share/Patigi road, Ilorin-Omu Aran-Egbe road, Pategi-Kpada Road and contractor mobilisation to Ajasse Ipo-Offa Erinle Road, among others.